Library

Fact sheet describing the importance and regulation of EPA WaterSense water softeners including the function of cation exchange water softeners, the importance of salt efficiency, the negative impact of hard water on household appliances, softeners that use demand-initiated regeneration with...

Resource that provides a checklist of program criteria for water-efficient new homes under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense program.

Document on the EPA WaterSense webpage describing the technical evaluation process used by EPA WaterSense to authorize home certification organizations to certify homes through the WaterSense program.

Manual showing how to properly use grass swales to manage excess water runoff.

Wepage providing information on ENERGY STAR certified gas tankless water heaters with information on how they cut water heating expenses as well as a product finder tool to find ENERGY STAR certified products.

Article explaining the importance of expansion tank knowledge.

Website describing how wildfires spread and how fuels, weather, and topography influence fires.

A list of exterior building products and materials approved for use in wildland urban interface zoned homes. These products are non-combustible or ignition-resistant.

Presentation about the combustion properties of wood.

Fact sheet describing the moisture properties of wood.

Manual providing design and construction provisions for connections, wall systems, floor systems, and roof systems; a range of structural elements are covered, including sawn lumber, structural glued laminated timber, wood structural sheathing, I-joists, and trusses.

Report summarizing information on wood as an engineering material, and presents properties of wood and wood-based products of particular concern to the architect and engineer.

Fact sheet describing typical wood-pile-to-beam connections; basic construction guidance for various connection methods, including connections for misaligned piles; and pile bracing connection techniques; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...